Why is a deep clean so much more p/h?

[wherethecityis]

I want to get a cleaner. Our house isn’t absolutely filthy but things like windows, skirting boards, switches, inside cupboards etc have been neglected a bit as I've been working so much, so it seems I’d need a deep clean initially then just regular cleaning after.

But why is a deep clean so much more per hour? I am seeing people quote £18 an hour for regular cleaning, but for deep cleaning it’s quoting £36 an hour. I understand a deep clean would take much longer than a regular one, but it’s not twice as difficult to do a deep clean as a normal one is it. Why does it cost twice as much per hour?

It's because it's more of the awkward jobs that need to be done and they take a bit more elbow grease so completely understandable to cost more

For a deep clean is it two people needed per hour, so it's double the cost?

I'd also hazard a guess that because it's a deep clean it's more thorough / requires way more effort (like much more manual scrubbing, getting into tough areas so more labour intensive) and maybe require different cleaning products?

I guess you also pay more for jobs that are more awkward / effort, my nail artist charges differently per hour if she's doing a normal infill vs nail art for example, because one takes more effort + equipment.

Because you aren't offering them any repeat business. It's a one off.

Well, they don't know just how dirty your house is. You could be getting in deep cleaners after a total renovation, so it's a mass of plasterdust and dirt and need very heavy-duty scrubbing and scouring, moving furniture etc, not just dusting, mopping, cleaning surfaces etc. When I've needed a deep clean, they really earned their money.

It’s way easier cleaning a bathroom and doing a bit of vacuuming than moving furniture to do skirting boards and clean windows .

It’s definitely just the one person earning twice as much for those hours.

I would also be requiring them on an ongoing basis. It would be a deep clean followed by weekly shorter normal cleans.

I suppose some jobs might be harder. There’s no moving of furniture involved though. Personally I don’t think it’s harder to clean windows than mop floors. I absolutely hate mopping and find it the hardest household job there is. Most of the “deep clean” jobs needed I think are quite easy.

As part of my work I do lots of different tasks. Some are 5 times harder than others but I get the same wage per hour regardless. It does seem strange to earn twice as much per hour for some tasks than others though it seems it’s normal though. But rather than pay £216 for one clean I might end up doing those easy jobs and then get a normal clean. £36 is twice what I earn in an hour!

You could just employ them to do a regular clean and add a specific job each time (like cleaning windows)/ one week, wiping skirting boards the next. Deep cleans tend to involve moving furniture, getting stuff out of cupboards, scrubbing grotty build up, etc and are physically more demanding. Probably not twice as demanding but that's how they choose to price it.

That’s a good suggestion, also if I wasn’t having to do the general cleaning so much I’d have time to do some of the deep cleaning parts myself bit by bit

I'd just book longer for the first few cleans and set out a list of extra tasks as suggested above.

Then when they're done you can drop hours to maintenance levels.

But I tend to do what you've just said - they take all the drudge jobs so I have time and inclination to ocassionally do all the window seals / scrub toilet and taps limescale build up

Cleaner here - Unless your cupboards are empty and all furniture is in the middle of the room, accessing cupboards & skirting boards, will require moving of furniture and items.

Deep cleans usually require much more effort and repeated applications of product. You’d get a much more intensive cleaning session compared to a client whose house is tip top and just requires a weekly freshen up. So the rate will be more. How much more will vary between cleaners/businesses.

I literally don’t have any furniture that wouldn’t take at least 2 very strong people to move so, I’m clear about that. Any skirting boards would be the ones you can see and get to easily. Though to clean in cupboards they would of course need emptying. But while I get that would take a long time I don’t see why it’s harder. And the same with repeat applications of product - I would have thought this is taken account for in the fact I’m being told a deep clean would take several hours longer.
£36 an hour to take things out of a cupboard, wipe the bottom of the cupboards, and put them back again seems very expensive. But then for things like scrubbing away built up limescale and getting rid of really caked on dirt I can see physically you’d have to put a lot more effort in. And I suppose cleaners can’t have a separate price list for every single task they do.

I don’t even know how often jobs like emptying and cleaning inside cupboards, cleaning windows, cleaning switches and sockets, or doing skirting boards should really be done. I’m so rubbish at this running a house thing!